Another One

[Furnace1]

Here is another vise that has made it's way to my shop. It was given to me by and old friend last week that said he was tired of it taking up space under his work bench! It has a very nice scroll detail on the spring and the joint at the pivot point is rather interesting as well. The jaws are 4 1/2" wide and unfortunately only make contact at the center. I will need to do a little work on that problem and of course, make a mounting plate that is missing. Other than that it is in very good shape for it's age........what do you guys think of it?

[Timothy Miller]

I think that is a French style vise. The mounting bracket is round it allows the vise to pivot on the leg.

[doc]

I think Tim is correct in his observation. The short box and it's details like early english vises yet with such heavy later style jaws along with the pivot point details all seem to point to French vise construction.

[Judson Yaggy]

Probably floated right down the lake from Montreal. I'm surprised that we don't see more French influenced tools in our area, but I see 10 English blacksmithing tools for every 1 that might be French. I guess that even the Quebecois were buying English imports.

[Frank Turley]

Now you've gotta' make a fleur-de-lis mounting plate. Kidding, sorta'. A number of the French vises had such a plate. Google etau ancien clicking on images and you might run across one to look at.

[John McPherson]

Judson, never doubt the power of trade: John Smith was seeing French tomahawks in Jamestown Virginia that *walked* down from the Adirondacks. The Catawba Indians walked or rode horses up the Great Wagon Road/Tribal Trading Path from present day South Carolina to fight alongside George Washington in the French & Indian War against their ancient enemies the Miami and Delaware tribes.

The French trade died out long enough ago that any tools from that era would be extremely rare.

[Judson Yaggy]

I wasn't doubting the power of trade, just voicing my observation that there is a lack of French influenced tools in this region even thou if you go 75 miles north people speak predominantly French and both the culture and consumer goods have a decidedly continental European flair even today. That probably underscores the quality and economy of English exports in the 19th century as much as anything.

There was indeed some incredible trade going on in the region during colonial times; if you read some of the early journals of Vermont settlers they describe farming and trapping all summer then loading the highest value surplus onto their backs and WALKING to Boston (before roads) and returning with trade items that would help them survive the winter.

North American Colonial era tools are very rare regardless of country of origin. I should have made it clear that I wasn't talking only about the French fur trade era, but about any blacksmithing tools from the 18th, 19th, or early 20th centuries. All those French speakers and their descendants and few French tools. Interesting, that's all.

This is where everyone posts pictures of their eastern Canadian tools to prove me wrong. :P Sorry for the thread jacking Furnace1!

[Timothy Miller]

Biased on the level of finish on that vise I would guess that it is late 19th century or early 20th. The english had an export based economy and ready markets in their colonies to buy the goods. You see english tools all around the world. French tools are uncommon though Kennith Lynch an early restorer of the statue of liberty brought many to the US in the early and mid 20th century. http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioLynch.htm

[VaughnT]

I've never seen the like. Love that scroll on the spring and will be sure to duplicate it if I ever need to replace mine!

[ThomasPowers]

Interesting to see the reverse spring and how it's attached looks like a fairly "modern" technique.

Frank do the other etau ancien mount the spring the same way that you have seen?

[Frank Turley]

The springs. Yes, many of them have a simple curlicue at the bottom, but the top can be fixed either to the fixed leg or the movable leg. Personally, I think the best way is to attach to the fixed leg, as with our English/American vises, because there is less throw (movement) to open the vise jaw. One of the most beautiful vises, French or otherwise, that I've seen in photos, is in the book, "Decorative Antique Ironwork: A Pictorial Treasury" by Henry D'Allemagne, Plate 379. It is titled, "Locksmith's bench vise; 18th century." The spring has a fine scroll at its bottom, and the top has a rectangular hole to receive the mounting plate tenon on the fixed leg, similar to the early English tenoned style. The horizontal mounting plate is a finely made fleur-de-lis. This vise is also engraved, and a close-up photo is shown in "Le Livre de L'outil" * a fat coffee table, picture book of 479 pages. Pages 272-273 show the vise in question. I have attempted to take a photo of the photo.

* authors Andre Velter & Marie-Jose Lamothe. Edition Phébis, Paris. 2003. This colorful book covers the tools of the common trades, chapter by chapter...beautifully done. Written in French.

[Furnace1]

I wasn't doubting the power of trade, just voicing my observation that there is a lack of French influenced tools in this region even thou if you go 75 miles north people speak predominantly French and both the culture and consumer goods have a decidedly continental European flair even today. That probably underscores the quality and economy of English exports in the 19th century as much as anything.

There was indeed some incredible trade going on in the region during colonial times; if you read some of the early journals of Vermont settlers they describe farming and trapping all summer then loading the highest value surplus onto their backs and WALKING to Boston (before roads) and returning with trade items that would help them survive the winter.

North American Colonial era tools are very rare regardless of country of origin. I should have made it clear that I wasn't talking only about the French fur trade era, but about any blacksmithing tools from the 18th, 19th, or early 20th centuries. All those French speakers and their descendants and few French tools. Interesting, that's all.

This is where everyone posts pictures of their eastern Canadian tools to prove me wrong. :P Sorry for the thread jacking Furnace1!

No problem Judson, I find history fascinating especially when it's forging related. This supposition from many of you that my vise came from Canada makes perfect sense as my friend, who gave this to me and his family are French Canadians!
Thanks to all of you who added responses to this thread......Scott